Ahmadou Ahidjo

Ahmadou Ahidjo (24 August 1924-30 November 1989) was President of Cameroon from 5 May 1960 to 6 November 1982, preceding Paul Biya.

Biography
Ahmadou Ahidjo was born in Garua, Cameroon, the son of a chief of the Fulani people. He became a radio operator in the post office, and he was elected to the French Cameroon Territorial Assembly in 1947, becoming the leader of the Cameroonian Union. He was elected to the Assembly of the French Union in Paris as the Cameroonian representative, serving from 1953 to 1956. In 1958, he succeeded Andre-Marie Mbida as Prime Minister at the age of 34, and he became president after independence in 1960. He tried to create a united country through integrating all other political movements in his union, hoping to unite the country through political centralization. However, his government commited human rights violations, ultimately leading to stability. He retired in 1982 and chose Paul Biya as his successor, but Biya engaged in a power struggle with the influential Ahidjo, who ultimately retired to Senegal.